


Introspective (and Ice Cream)

by CyberSearcher



Series: Moving Forward [6]
Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Alan is best dad, Beach Episode, Crack with Plot, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Icecream Soup, Tron vs Food, imgonnafeedthisdeadfandomWATCHME
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 16:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17665682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyberSearcher/pseuds/CyberSearcher
Summary: (Legit this was gonna be wholesome and semi crack but somehow I have plot? Whatever. It’s still wholesome)On the Users quest to expose their Programs (and ISO) to more of their world, Sam takes them to Coney Island for a short Holiday. Tron - being a security program - has little to no consent of the idea of ‘down time’. Coupled with Yori’s User, he has a lot on his mind. Alan helps where he can.





	Introspective (and Ice Cream)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I have risen from the grave. I DO plan to write more, just not used to this new format. To anyone in this fandom still alive, talk to me and send some requests in the comments. WE. NEED. MORE. PROGRAM SHENNANIGANS!!!

Cramming their bags, three humans, two programs and a very rowdy dog into a single van was almost more trouble than it was worth. The ride took almost an hour and more than once did Sam bring up the option to just let Alan have him ride on the roof, arguing that it would give the others more room. 

To which everyone had voted no. Twice. Except for Quorra who was both the most cramped and the only one who could see logic in his decision. Somehow.

The minute the car stopped, each of the Users shuffled out of the van to stretch their limbs. Tron and Quorra soon followed behind as Sam explained what they had planned. 

“Okay, there’s going to be a lot of different Users here so it’ll be easy to lose us. So make sure you stick closeby. Alan and Lora will be on the beach if you two need anything.” He said. 

Tron simply nodded. “I apologize if I am unable to adequately perform my function.” 

The User shot him a look before he realized what he’d said. “Wha - oh. Don’t worry about that. There are other Users who watch over the others. The point here is to have some fun.”

Quorra glanced to him. “I read about the games Users would play on the beach. Volleyball is a very popular one. I think you’d like it Tron.” 

He was always surprised at the ISO’s lack of hostility, especially given their previous encounters. 

Tron registered the audio of nearly a hundred different sources as they walked down the shoals and onto the sand. He was glad he had proper footwear, but the Users seemed unbothered by the multiple irregularities embedded in the sand. 

Lora and Alan-1 laid out coverings - towels, he corrected - onto the sand as Sam removed his shirt. Tron had carried over the umbrella and assisted Alan in setting up. 

He heard a loud cry and Tron snapped up, already reaching for his discs before he noticed Sam had just ran out into the water already. Alan just gave a huff if laughter and settled back into his book. 

The security program scanned the shoreline. Dozens of users, in multiple stages of development were present. Some constructing structures with the sand, some simply lying in the sun - didn’t that damage their render? - and some engaging in sports. It was practically a paradise.

Tron had to hide a short frown. 

“Hey.” Alan spoke up. “Do you feel alright?” 

“Yes, my functions are stable.” He blinked, turning back to his User. Alan gave him a quizzical stare. 

“Are you sure? Not overheating under all that?” 

Tron tugged at the sleeves hiding his circuits. “No, as long as I don’t exert myself my core temperature will remain optimal. This is the most logical attire, is it not?”

In truth, hiding his gridsuit under layers of User clothes was mildly uncomfortable in Tron’s opinion. It felt too restricted, halting his movements and slowing his reaction time by precious milliseconds. But his User had insisted that his attire would draw then attention.

He’d learned the hard (and uncomfortable) way last time. 

Alan sat up and bookmarked his page. “Okay. But how are you? Do you want to try anything? There was a vendor back there, maybe some ice cream?”

“I don’t know.” He said slowly. “Perhaps.” 

Lora was already moving before he finished his sentence. “Strawberry, right?” 

“You know me so well honey.” Alan grinned. 

She just rolled her eyes as she walked up to the vendor. Tron couldn’t help but watch and listen, she was so much like Yori, it still hurt. He wasn’t even sure how long it’d been since he’d last seen her. Or if she was still functioning. 

Alan watched the pain fly over his Programs eyes. The older man tried to think of what to say. “Hey, do you… need to talk about it? What’s on your mind?” 

Trons mouth dipped. “It’s difficult to articulate.”

“I can imagine.” Alan nodded thoughtfully. “It’s always hard, losing someone you care about.” 

It took Tron a moment for him to realize that he was referencing Kevin Flynn. 

“Sam told you?” He asked quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

His User gave him a soft smile. “Don’t worry, but if it’s any consolation, you can talk to me if you need it. Whenever you need it, I’ll never be a problem.” 

“But… to devote your time to myself like that, would it not conflict with your own functions?” Tron said disbelievingly. 

“Like I said, It’ll never be a problem.” Alan insisted. Then he took on a thoughtful look. “Maybe I could create a patch so you can communicate with me directly without an I/O tower.”

Tron found himself staring at the sand. “You’d really devote that much effort into… something this minor?” 

He felt a hand on his shoulder, then turned to see his User smiling at him. “It took me a while to accept what’s happened. It hurt a lot losing Kevin. But I had a good support system.” 

The security program couldn’t help but marvel at how similar User and Programs were in this world, he couldn’t describe it. But in a broad sense, it felt safe.

Soon Lora was back, carrying a tray filled with half a dozen oddly coloured substances - Tron presumed this was ‘ice cream’ - and handed one coloured light pink to Alan and took a plain white coloured one for herself. 

“Here-“ she handed the rest to Tron “-I’m not sure what flavours you’d like. So I got some samples, just tell me which one you liked best.” 

He took one of the small cups into his palm, it was a light orange colour. Another was a dark brown, one with white and brown swirls, one coloured pale green with brown chips and a pink one with blue streaks. Tron watched how Alan and Lora ate and attempted to copy. But when his tongue touched the surface, he had to draw back. He didn’t expect it to be so cold. 

The taste registered as extremely bitter with a hint of something sour. He sighed, Tron always had little luck when it came to User food. He eventually took notice of the small scoops on the side of the tray and figured it’d be nearer than just using his hands. 

The program took small samples of each flavour, most of the, were unpleasant. Save for the light green one, Tron found himself enjoying it. The taste was something akin to diluted sweetness and a hint of sour, but out of everything it tasted the best. 

Soon he just set the tray off to the side, planning to finish it later. He looked up into the sky, bright, cloudless, so unlike the Grid. Maybe he’d make a request to Sam to update the Grid with a sky like this. He could argue it’d be safer for the Programs piloting Light Jets. 

When he looked back at the tray, he realized that the icecream had disintegrated into a liquid state. Tron tipped the cup back and forth, then wondered what would happen if he tried to mix the different liquids. 

**::::**

 

Alan had wondered how Tron would react to this new food, as did Lora. But she was the first to notice what the program was doing. 

He turned to hear her snickering and shaking his shoulder. Once he turned to what she was pointing at, he raised his book to try and hide his grin. 

Tron had a tray of melted ice cream in his lap while the program lapped up at it from the cups. Every so often, he’d pause and pour a different flavour into the same cup. 

Once the program realized he was being watched, he paused. Alan wished he had a phone. Tron looked like a child who’d been caught rummaging through a fridge. He had several spots of ice cream dripping around his mouth which he seemed oblivious too. 

He couldn’t help but smile as he handed Tron a napkin. “Here, you don’t want that drying on your face.” 

“Thank you.” Alan knew that Programs couldn’t blush, but he could still see the embarrassed hunch in his form. 

“At least I know you’re enjoying yourself.” Lora grinned. “Just be careful not to spill.” 

Alan made a note to add ‘Icecream Soup’ on the list of things Tron could eat. And to tell Sam to keep a camera out the next time Tron got his hands on it.


End file.
